When the sun was out, Paige Phillips was always the first to step into it. From her teens, she loved tanning — convinced it made her blue eyes and blonde hair stand out even more. But her pursuit of the perfect glow took a devastating turn.

In her twenties, Paige began using sunbeds regularly and later added “nasal tanning sprays,” products now under investigation for their risks. These sprays contain Melanotan II, a synthetic chemical linked to serious side effects — from high blood pressure to kidney damage and, most alarmingly, skin cancer.

Paige used both sunbeds and sprays, believing they were harmless. Within months, she was diagnosed with oral melanoma — a rare and aggressive cancer that spread rapidly through her body. Despite multiple surgeries and treatments, she passed away at just 24.

Her mother, Debbie, now 53, is speaking out, hoping to warn others about the hidden dangers of tanning products. “Paige paid the ultimate price for beauty,” she says softly. “If her story can save even one life, she won’t have died in vain.”